Demo: braille music translation using Sao Mai Braille (SMB) from Sound Without Sight Program

Source: https://soundwithoutsight.org/demo-braille-music-translation-using-sao-mai-braille-smb/

Introduction

This article includes links to the recording from our November 2024 Monthly Meet-up Session. James Bowden, Braille Technical Officer at RNIB, shows how you can use SMB to convert MusicXML format scores into BRF files, ready for embossing or reading on a braille display. James demonstrates using JAWS on Windows, but SMB also works well with NVDA.

Sighted users can of course also navigate SMB using a mouse and without using a screen reader. The functions demonstrated are the same.

You can access the recording at the following links:

YouTube

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Acast

Please continue for James’ handout, which also includes links to the relevant sections from the demo.

What is SMB?

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The Sao Mai Braille converter (SMB) is a braille translation program developed by the Sao Mai Center for the Blind, in Vietnam. SMB can convert all kinds of text into braille in various different languages and can also convert mathematics, tactile graphics and music. In this presentation we’ll concentrate just on the music.

There are two ways to access the music translation of SMB: on the web, or with an app. The advantage of the online version is there is no installation required and you can access it from any platform. The online version only translates music and can be accessed at: https://saomaicenter.org/en/smsoft/smb-online.

The Windows app gives access to all the music options and can also translate other kinds of material. In this session, we’ll concentrate on the app. The app is currently only available for Windows.

Download and installation

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1. Go to https://saomaicenter.org/en/smsoft/smb
2. Under the heading “Download latest version”, fill in the form with your details.
3. Select whether you want to download the installation setup file, or a ZIP file for a manual install, then press the Download button.
4. Once downloaded, follow the instructions in the setup installation program or the Readme file in the ZIP package. 
   Note: you may need administrator privileges.

A word about accessibility

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If you plan to use a screen reader with SMB, make sure that the Windows setting for display “scaling” is set to 100%.

1. Press the Windows key.
2. Type Scaling in the search box and press Enter. You should be taken directly to the correct place in the Windows Display Settings.
3. If Scaling is not at 100%, use the Arrow keys to change it.

The first time you run SMB, you should get a message to install an add-on (for NVDA) or scripts (for JAWS). These help with reading in the document areas.

Quick reminder about MusicXML

MusicXML is a computer format for representing musical scores. You can create MusicXML from a music notation program, such as exporting from MuseScore, or you can download MusicXML from various websites, such as musescore.com. If you download from a website, it’s always a good idea to check the quality of the music in a notation program first.

Once you have MusicXML, you can import it into SMB to translate it into braille.

The basic process

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Assuming everything is all ready and the settings in SMB are all set correctly, the basic process to convert MusicXML into braille is:

1. Create a new file (Ctrl + N).
2. Insert the MusicXML (Alt + F11).
3. Translate (Ctrl + T).

All these commands are also on the menus in SMB.

It’s always best to check through the resulting braille, then finally you can save it, for example in BRF format to read on a refreshable braille display, or emboss it, if you have a connected embosser. To save, use the Save As command on the File menu, choose BRF as the file type. To emboss, use the Print command, again on the File menu.

The conversion process is similar if you’re using the online web version of SMB:

1. Go to https://saomaicenter.org/en/smsoft/smb-online.
2. Upload your MusicXML with the select file button.
3. Check the translation options.
4. Translate and download the braille.

Now, we’ll look at some of the options in the SMB app.

Adding text

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SMB will translate any text in your MusicXML file, such as the title and composer information of the piece. Sometimes however, this information is missing, or you may want to add something. Here’s one way how to add extra text:

Before translation, simply write your text, then apply any styles or formatting as needed, for example Ctrl + E will centre text.

If you’d prefer to add braille, you can do that too, after translation. use six-key entry on your computer keyboard.

Settings and options

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SMB options

It’s always a good idea to check the options to make sure everything is as you expect. Below, we’ll cover just some of the options, as they relate to music.

You can call up the SMB options with the Options command in the Tools menu. The dialog contains several pages of options.

Remember: any options you change will take effect the next time you translate a document.

Embosser settings

Even if you do not have an embosser, it is important to make sure the braille page size is correct.

Most important is the characters per line (CPL). Set it to the correct line length. The lines per page (LPP) then sets the page length.

There are equivalent settings in the online version and these should be set the same way.

If you plan to emboss, check through the rest of the options, such as selecting the model of embosser, which Windows printer driver is used, the margins and so on.

Translation tables options

This page lets you set which braille code to use for text. Make sure the default is set correctly, for example it is the right language and grade of braille that you want. If it is not, use the Browse button to change: select the right options in the dialog and press OK.

The longer list of tables determines which tables are available for other languages in a document.

At the bottom of this page are options for the “Braille encoding”. Without getting into too much detail, if you are in an English-speaking country and want to read BRF files, set these options to ASCII and North American encoding.

Music options

The music options are shown in several subpages in the Options dialog. Here are a few of the most common options. Note: many of these options assume a certain knowledge of music and braille music in particular. If you are unsure, check with a local blindness organisation or braille music expert.

• Format page, Format type: selects one of the main different layouts for braille music. Bar-over-bar is used in English-speaking countries, Section-by-section is used in several European countries.
• Format page, Transcription mode: Single part will produce each part separately (for each individual player); Orchestra and Chamber will produce all parts together (as an ensemble).
• Format page, Always mark octave at first note of measure: in some countries each bar of braille music has an octave sign, others only show the octave at the start of each line of music (called a “parallel”).
• Format page, Show line number, and Show page number: whether to show where each page and line of the original print music starts. useful if you need to refer back to the print.
• Transcription page, Show/hide signs: this list contains a variety of musical symbols which you may or may not want to appear in the braille. If you’re just starting out, you may want to turn things off so you can just read notes. A more experienced braille music reader will want all the signs … but note that we do not normally show print clef signs.
• Transcription page, Use bracket slur: there are two ways to show a series of slurred notes in braille music. Choose the option that reflects braille music in your country. In English-speaking countries, bracket slurs are used, except in vocal music.
• Transcription page, Restate slur/tie in new parallel: when starting a new braille line, some countries restate a slur or tie sign if the last note on the previous line was tied or slurred.
• Transcription page, Doubling: in braille music when a lot of notes have the same property (such as staccato or each with the same interval), the braille music sign is written twice with the first note, once on the last note, and not shown for all the notes in-between. It’s a way to save some space. The Doubling options control which braille music signs use this technique.
• Transcription page, Braille repeats, Backward numeral repeat and Measure number repeats: these are ways in braille music to show if bars of music are repeated. They may or may not be used according to your country’s conventions.

There are many more music options and sometimes the effect is subtle. Be sure to check with local braille music users if you are unsure.

Remember, if you make changes to the settings, close the braille window (Ctrl + F4) and retranslate the piece (Ctrl + T) to see the effect.

Profiles

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Different kinds of music, and different people may need different SMB music options, so SMB has a Profiles function where you can quickly load and save the settings for a particular kind of music.

SMB comes with several profiles and the Add profiles… button lets you add several more.

Let’s assume a student is just starting to learn braille music. The student doesn’t need lots of complicated signs, and it would help if every bar started with an octave sign.

First, change the options in the Format and Translation page as needed. Then, in the Profiles page, type in a description and a name for the profile. Now, press the Save as profile button.

Now, whenever you want to produce braille music with settings appropriate for this student, just select the profile from the list and press the Load profile button to activate the settings.

The Score info dialog

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The Score info dialog is particularly useful for extracting individual parts and for customising orchestral and ensemble scores. For example, you can use the Score info dialog to select the specific parts you want, and to customise the braille instrument names used throughout the score.

1. Import the score as usual, but at this stage, don’t translate.
2. Navigate onto the music object.
3. Open the Score info dialog from the Tools menu, or press Alt + Enter.

The top of this dialog shows the title, composer and other text information that will appear at the top of the braille score.

Next, there is a list of parts with checkboxes. Check the parts that you want to braille. Uncheck those you don’t want to appear.

Beneath this, there are some tabs if to need to fine-tune the braille even further, such as setting the instrument prefixes.

When you have finished, Save and Close the dialog. Then translate in the usual way.

Music navigation mode

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Another interesting music feature in SMB is the music navigation mode.

1. Import your score as usual, but at this stage, don’t translate.
2. Navigate onto the music object.
3. From the View menu, select Navigation mode, or press Shift + F5.

A window opens allowing you to navigate through the individual musical elements in the score. Use the Left and Right Arrow keys to move through note by note, Ctrl + Left and Right to move from bar to bar, and Up and Down to move through each instrument.

More information and help

We’ve only covered the basics in this session. SMB has many more features and functions and your primary source of information is the manual, accessed through the Help menu or F1 from the main screen. Remember to treat it as a reference book, so use search commands or the Contents to find information on the specific topic you’re interested in.

Many of the dialogs in SMB also have context sensitive help: you can press F1 to find out information on the currently focused control. 

Finally, if you need support, you can email support@saomaicenter.org, or subscribe to the SMB email discussion list at groups.io/g/smcb.

More information, including social media channels, is available at the end of the reference manual.